The Big Kahuna
(1999)
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First-time feature director John Swanbeck teams up with producer-actor Kevin Spacey for this big screen adaptation of Roger Rueff's play HOSPITALITY SUITE. The story concerns three lubricant salesmen who have gathered in a Witchita, Kansas hotel room in order to throw a cocktail party for prospective buyers. They are Larry (Spacey), a harsh, cocky veteran; his partner Phil (Danny DeVito), a passive recovering alcoholic; and Bob (Peter Facinelli), a naïve new colleague whose ethics drive Larry into fits of disbelief. The trio waits for the night's arrivals--most specifically, 'The Big Kahuna' a man so wealthy that he has the ability to single-handedly revive Larry and Phil's struggling careers. After the party, Larry and Phil are dumbfounded when they discover that Bob actually spoke to him, only their conversation consisted solely of religious dialogue. Larry sends Bob in search of 'The Big Kahuna' with the order that he discuss business if he wants to remain employed. The subsequent hours provide each individual with the chance to exorcise his inner demons once and for all. Limited in its usage of locations, Rueff's big-screen adaptation of his play contains inspired performances from Spacey, DeVito, and Facinelli. |
Kevin Spacey followed his Oscar-winning turn in American Beauty with this more personal project, which he also produced. He plays one of a trio of salesmen who have gathered at an anonymous hotel suite for a convention. Spacey, all hyperactive bluster, is determined to secure a major client — the Big Kahuna of the title. However, it's the new boy on the team, Peter Facinelli, who may hold the key to capturing the elusive prize. Very much in the style of Glengarry Glen Ross (in which Spacey had a supporting role), this claustrophobic drama struggles to shake-off its stage origins. However, Spacey delivers a bravura performance and he is more than matched by Danny DeVito, who carves out a performance of understated melancholy as his world-weary partner.
Halliwell's Film Guide
Familiar material exposing the hollowness of the American dream that does not shake off its theatrical origins; it gets by on the quality of the performances.